A soccer fan from Spain making the journey on foot from Madrid to Doha, Qatar for the 2022 World Cup disappeared in Iran three weeks ago, his family said in a statement on Monday.
Santiago Sanchez, who they described as an experienced hiker and former paratrooper, was last spotted in Iraq after trekking through 15 countries on his way to the soccer tournament.
The 41-year old, who over the past nine months had documented his journey on his popular Instagram account, had said that the reason behind his lengthy trip was to experience how people in other countries live, according to the Associated Press.
His intention had been to reach Qatar for Spain’s first match on November 23.
'The idea of the journey is to motivate and inspire other people to show that they can go very far with very little,' he told the Associated Press while he was in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
The hiker’s family described last hearing from him on October 2 when he sent them an audio message the day he crossed from Iraq into Iran where he was to travel to Tehran for a television interview.
He was reported missing by his parents on October 17. An investigation has been opened by the Spanish police and diplomats are looking into his disappearance.
“He has not been making propaganda, neither for nor against any situation,' his parents said. “The only thing that moves him is supporting Real Madrid – and walking to get on time to the World Cup in Qatar.”